The external carotid artery is the primary blood supply to the face, scalp, oral cavity, and neck, with eight named branches supplying all extracranial head and neck structures. Its many branches in the neck (eight) compared to the ICA's none in the neck is the clinical distinguishing feature during carotid surgery. The superior thyroid artery is its first branch and the recurrent laryngeal nerve landmark during thyroid surgery.
| Origin | Common carotid bifurcation at C4 |
|---|
External carotid artery ligation was historically used to control haemorrhage from major face and neck injuries, but has been replaced by angiography and selective embolisation that preserves flow to reduce ischaemia. Epistaxis from the posterior nasal cavity supplied by the sphenopalatine artery (from the maxillary artery branch) can be controlled by endovascular sphenopalatine artery embolisation. Paragangliomas of the carotid body at the ECA-ICA bifurcation are highly vascular tumours requiring pre-operative embolisation before surgical resection.
Penetrating neck trauma laceration producing haemorrhage managed with direct repair or selective embolisation depending on surgical accessibility.
This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Some are essential for site functionality, while others help us analyze and improve your usage experience. Please review your options and make your choice.
If you are under 16 years old, please ensure that you have received consent from your parent or guardian for any non-essential cookies.
Your privacy is important to us. You can adjust your cookie settings at any time. For more information about how we use data, please read our privacy policy. You may change your preferences at any time by clicking on the settings button below.
Note that if you choose to disable some types of cookies, it may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.
Some required resources have been blocked, which can affect third-party services and may cause the site to not function properly.
This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and ensure the site functions properly. By continuing to use this site, you acknowledge and accept our use of cookies.
